Impact fuse for rocket projectiles



Dec. 2, 1952 R. APOTHELOZ IMPACT FUSE FOR ROCKET FROJECTILES .Fiiad Oct. 3, I950 INVEN R Robari A ol'Ih/oz Patented Dec. 2, 1952 Ill/[PACT FUSE FOR ROCKET PROJECTILES Robert Apothloz, Zurich, Switzerland, assignor to Machine Tool Works Oerlikon, Administration Company, Zurich-Oerlikon, Switzerland, a company of Switzerland Application October 3, 1950, Serial No. 188,143 In Switzerland July 31, 1950 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to an impact fuze for rocket projectiles, especially for rocket projectiles with hollow charges to be used against armoured vehicles.

The impact fuze according to the present invention comprises a fuze casing, a striker pin longitudinally movable therein and subjected to the action of a spring, a percussion pin for igniting the primer cap and secured by an element which can be ruptured, said percussion pin protruding with its rear end into a sleeve arranged inside a longitudinal bore of the striker pin, a ball arranged inside an oblique bore directed towards, and joining the said longitudinal bore of the striker pin, said parts cooperating in such a way that upon rapid movement of the striker pin the said ball, due to its inertia, runs inside the oblique bore towards the longitudinal bore, impacts on and deforms the sleeve, thereby causing an obstacle which strikes against the percussion pin on further movement of the striker pin.

The attached drawing shows a representative constructional example of the subject of the present invention.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the fuze in normal position;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the fuze in firing position.

As can be seen from the drawing th fuze body I is screwed onto the front part of the rocket projectile and connected by a thread with a primer carrier 1. The striker pin 2 is movably arranged inside the longitudinal bore of the fuze body I. The striker pin 2 is fitted with a pressedin head 3 made from hard material and possessing steps 3a to eiTect better seizing on small angle impacts upon armour plates. The striker pin 2 is subjected to the action of the spring 4 which rests against the primer carrier 1. In its lower part the striker pin 2 is fitted with a longitudinal bore into which the sleeve 5 is inserted. The ball 6 is arranged in a bore slanted to the rear and joining th longitudinal bore of the striker pin 2.

Into the rear part of the primer carrier 7 the primer H and the plug I!) are screwed. The percussion pin 8 is held in the plug It by means of the safety pin 9. Its rear part projects into the sleev 5 inserted into the striker pin 2. The

fuze body I has a thin-walled part la, the strength of which is smaller than that of the thread connection between plug l0 and primer carrier 1.

The function of the fuze is as follows:

In normal position shown in Fig. 1 the percussion pin 8 is prevented from entering the primer II by means of the safety pin 9. There is no mechanical connection between the percussion pin 8 and th striker pin 2 movable against the pressure of the spring 4. If the rocket projectile impacts upon an obstacle with small velocity the striker pin 2 is moved to the rear at a comparatively low speed and the percussion pin 8 is not affected by this movement. Afterwards the striker pin 2 is returned to its initial position by its spring 4, the fuze thus being restored to normal position. If the striker pin 2 is moved far enough to the rear to rest upon the plug in any further pressure acting on the striker pin 2 will affect rupture of the thin-walled part la of the fuze body I thus making ignition impossible.

If, however, the rocket projectile impacts upon a target at high speed the striker in 2 is thrown to the rear with high velocity. Thereby the ball 6, due to its inertia, tends to remain in the same position relative to the projectile. It therefore slides forward in the slanting bore of the striker pin 2 and deforms the sleeve 5 (Fig. 2). During the further rearward movement of the striker pin 2 the deformed part of the sleeve 5 containing the ball 6 strikes against the percussion pin 8. The percussion pin 8 then shears off the safety pin 9 and enters the primer H, whereupon the rocket projectile detonates.

The fuze according to the present invention is safe at small impact velocities since there is no mechanical connection between striker pin and percussion pin. Only if the impact velocity is increased beyond a certain value a mechanical connection between these parts is created whereupon the fuze can act.

The fuze according to the present invention thus affords complete safety during transport and at low projectile speed with very simple means.

I claim:

1. Impact fuze for rocket projectiles comprising a fuze casing I, a striker pin 2, longitudinally such a way, that upon rapid movement of the 10 striker pin 2 the said ball 6 due torits inertia, runs insidethe' oblique bore towards'the longitudinal bore, impacts on, and deforms the sleeve 5 thereby causing an obstacle against which the percussion pin 8 strikes on further movement 15 of the striker pin 2.

'4 2. Impact fuze in accordance with claim 1, and comprising a striker pin 2 the front part of which is fitted with a head 3 made from carbide and having steps 3a on its forward base.

ROBERT APOTHELOZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name. Date Van Essen Oct. 9, 1928 Number 

